The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-11
Thieves and Gamblers of the Town Improve
the Opportunity TO Replenish Wardrobes
and Steal Everything Portable.
GREAT FIRE AT HURLEY.

if not quite, score Of lives. Less thar two
weeks ago. on June %, two blocks in the busi-
ness center were burned to the ground in as
devastated yesterday was swarming with work
men, and in a short time would have been re-
built on a much larger scale than before The
workmen laid down their tools at o'clock and
drew their weeks wages. which two hours later
many of them were spending in the numerous
saloons down town.
Between Sand 9 o'clock the Alcazar Theatre,
lager beea hall and variety show OF Main street.
was swarming with these and other patrons.
gamblers and attaches of the place. One of the
latter waiter girl and variety actress, went to
the top loft Of the building with oil lamp.
The lamp she is presumed to have dropped, for
almost instantly after her disappearance from
the lower floor fame of fire shot skyward from
the roof of the building, and second later the
structure was ablaze from the cellar up. The
structure was large building, but. like every
thing else in Hurley, constructed wholly of fat
pine and it fell an instant prey to the fire. The
upper floors were filled with women who re-
alizing their terrible plight. with no possible
escape from death, added their screens to the
already indescribable chaos. and through the
glare these wretched creatures were seen and
heard but for moment before the flames folded
in upon them and swallowed them up The
Alcazar stood for less than half an hour. The
adjoining building was a grocery abundantly
stocked with coal oil. The grocery took fire on
the instant, and barre cf ths. ~: u - .s.......
az explosion followed and the doom of the place
was settled. The town was built upon a north
side hill and extended from the Lake Shore rail-
road tracks southwark up to the summit Of he
range A street leads up from the Lake Shore
station past the Burton House, a large hotel, to
the shaft of the Germania mine. Intersecting
this street at right angles and running along the
bottom of the slope, east and west. is the main
street. Near the corner of these two thorough
fares stood the Alcazar. to the south and east of
which. in a region about third OF mile square,
lay almost the entire city. The wind blew
sharply from the northwest last night. so that
the little city lay exactly in the pathway of the
flames as they arose from the Alcazar Build
ing after building succumbed as the FIRE marched
east and northeast. Sparks and cinders mounted
on the wind and we're sent far ahead with the
message OF destruction. Every house was
wood box and courted the flames. The fire de-
partment, whose chief, warned by the disaster of
last month had resorted to daily training Of his
forces, was found to be poweress in the general
panic. Men could not be controlled made to
work; nor was this the worst Like all mining
camps, Hurley swarmed with s'tin-horn" gamb-
lers and roughs long since banished from more
civilized communities to such these. A pub
lie disaster was private feast. Far from work
ing to help the city, they contributed to the
spread Of the destruction, carrying brands of
fire into buildings not yet touched and taking
advantage of the panic to loot at large. Dozens
of these scoundrels were seen in the streets,
folding and replacing their worn garments with
suits Of clothes snatched from the shelves of
burning tailor shops. Nothing escaped their
hands. They seized bottles of liquor from the
saloons and drank till some of them fell down
unconscious in the midst of tho devastation and
death.
Within an hour everything in Hurley east of
the street running up the hill was in ashes and
the people, such as had themselves escaped the
flames, were either wild and rushing about the
scene of destruction or standing the brow of
the hill stupidity staring at the terrible scene.
The Burton House, by great good fortune, was
barely saved, though the flames at one time
crossed the street under its roof. Many persons
there found shelter who must otherwise have
spent the night in the woods. A number of
those who had saved some property from the
fire of two weeks ago were quartered in the dis
trict now burned and by this second visitation
lost all their possessions.
No attempt has yet been made to estimate tn .
financial loss. Most of the burned buildings
wore rude, but many of them contained valua-
BILE stock and some of the saloons were expen-
sively fitted up. Nearly. if not quite, $50 build
ings were consumed. Among these were the
Bank of Hurley and the American Express Com
panys Office, whose safes visible. upturned
in the ruins. large church was also burned.
All that remains of the town is the Burton Ho-
tel and another smaller hotel, the Lake Shore
depot and two three new residences the
very summit of the slope, whose detached posi-
tion saved them. There Is no insurance, as all
ately after the last FIRE.
The Western Union telegraph Office was de-
stroyed. and there was communication with
this town. 40 miles away, until this morning.
Conductor Jones, of tho Lake Shore train which
passed through Hurley at 7:30 this morning,
ports the total desi-uction OF the town de-
scribed. Tho express agent on the same train
found time TO 60 about The ruins. He says that on
the open street were stretched in row twelve
bodies already taken from the ruins, charred be-
yond recognition, Under the ruins OF theAlcazar,
In pile Of Goals and charred timbers SO hot to